I can now officially announce that I’ve joined ZeniMax Online Studios in Baltimore, as a content designer on their unannounced MMO. ZOS is a corporate sibling to Bethesda, makers of The Elder Scrolls, and id Software, creators of Doom and Quake. To that end, I’ve now relocated to Baltimore, and just moved in to what Read More …

I wish I could say I dread moments like these. If you haven’t seen it, basically: We’re at a convention. Player asks a designer why an NPC’s position in a novel isn’t reflected in-game. Designer responds that he thought the character was dead. Player provides supplementary information. NPC is not dead. Designer says they’ll fix Read More …

Canon, it’s been observed, is what people argue is true about stories that aren’t. Continuity, similarly, is what’s supposedly consistent in worlds that aren’t. Metaplot is what you call either one when you want to start a fight. I’m faintly offended by the idea of canon in roleplaying games. RPGs are by their nature varying Read More …